The Grenada gazette., 1887-11-19
SWITCH ANNIE" "
Interesting Sketch of q Remark
able Character.

Milwaukee has curious figure i
the person of female "switchman.
Her name is "Switch Annie" and sh
is in the employ OF the Chicago, Nil
waukee & St. Paul Company. She ha
the honor Of being the only female ex
ponent of the art of "throwin,
switches" in the country.
The work is masculine, but tn
worker is feminine from the sole of he
sensible walking-shoe to the top of hel
shapely head, possessed of the beaut,
OF an English dairy maid and tn,
muscle of a blacksmith.
The eleven switches which she look.
after are out near the stock-yards, and
include the most important points in
the yards. They were formerly in
charge of the girls father. Joseph
Grautner For Years Annie was his as
sistant, helping him almost from the
time she was large enough to throw
the switch-lever Then she was ad-
vanced to regular assistant The old
man was easily 'rattlcd," but Annie
never. Her coolness and dexterity
have saved many a loss to the company,
while for herself she was never known
to make mistake that involved the
loss of a dollar to the company.
Although Annie has been Throwing
switches for over twelve years, her
peculiar history has been hidden under
the bushel of her isolated station. Of
the thousands Of people who used every
year to pass her blOwn switch shanty,
not one was aware that it hid curious
history.
When applied for information at
the general offices in regard to Annie,
! was referred to the yardmaster, II. S.
Teal. ] found him in his Office on the
second floor of a dingy and historic
brick pile, ''down in the yards" Ny
request brought smile.
You want to know about Annie?'
said the rugged yardmaster, as he
swung himself around so as to keep
in view the glistening tracks and NOV
ing panorama of putting engines shift
ing trains that kept weaving the trans
Portation threads in the patchwork of
commerce as we talked.
'Well, she's character. You must
60 out and see her. She'll talk to you. |
Isn't afraid OF anybody"
How long has she been on the
roadp"
Ever since she was child. Her
father was with the company twenty
years. he only had one leg, and |
was rather slow getting about. He
was all right so long as he had only
one or two switches, but when bnsi-
ness increased and more were put in |
he had to have assistance. Then Annie |
came in. She was little thing at that
time, but she was spry, and the way
She would get back and forth between
those switches was surprising. After
while she was put on regularly rs an
assistant to her father. When he was
killed last winter she was given his
placd and row supports the family.
They live back of the switch shanty in
. house furnished rent-free by the COM
pany."
How does her work compare with
that of other switchmenp"
"She has the cleanest record of any
man in my employ, and we have two
hundred men in the yard. She never
lost dollar for the company, and that
IS more than can say Of any man in
the gard. She rarely makes mistake,
and when she does it is always through
signal carelessly given. There is one
thing about Annie remarkable in n
woman, she don't seem to know what
fear is At the time of the riots last
year that Polish mob. after cleaning
'ut the shops, came down through the
yards, cleaning ont every one in their
way Annie was on duty at the time, {
ma was the only employc who was not ,
lriven from work. All the rest of
me men ran away and then came
PACK after the mob had passed. But
Annie staid by her switches. When the
mob reached her one big Pole grabbed I
ier by the arm, saying: Get out Of
'ere; go home. you can't work no /